LCF News

Award Nominees Announced

24th Feb 2010

Comedians and venues who took part in Leicester Comedy Festival 2010 have been announced as nominees in the annual awards organised to celebrate the event.  Nominees include Perrier Award Winner Laura Solon, New Art Club, Greg Davies, BBC Radio regular Wilson Dixon and local Leicester performer Rob Gee.  Venues which have been recognised for their contribution to the event include The Crumblin' Cookie, The May Room, Athena, Bottle Rocket at Firebug and The Y.  The awards, set up in 2006, recognise the contribution people make to the February festival and include awards for Best Debut Show, Best Venue, Best New Venue, Best Make Me Happy Project and Contribution to Leicester Comedy Festival 2010.  Winners will be announced at a private ceremony, hosted by comedian Jarred Christmas, taking place at Time Bar, Leicester on Monday 15th March.  

Leicester Comedy Festival 2010 was the longest festival organised since the event began in 1994.  Over 500 performers appeared in over 340 events across 17 days, and audiences flocked from across the UK to the Leicester Comedy Festival, the longest running comedy festival in Europe.  Over 160 promoters work with festival organisers to arrange the programme.  Sold out shows this year included Jimmy Carr, Barry Cryer, Comedy Heaven, Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year competition and Sean Lock.  New venues for the festival included The Crumblin Cookie, Phoenix Square and The May Room.  Local community groups get involved in the festival through the Make Me Happy programme, supported by John Lewis Leicester.  

This year the majority of the awards have been decided by a group of members of the public who applied to become judges.  10 comedy fans were selected to see over 300 shows and visit venues across Leicester and Leicestershire in order to decide the winners.  The judges will help present the awards at the ceremony, along with special guests and VIPs.

Leicester Comedy Festival are once again working with Leicester City Council’s Environmental Sustainability Team to present an award to the venue with the lowest carbon footprint.  The Green Room award was presented for the first time last year and is a part of the festival’s “Greening The Laughs” programme.  The programme, supported by Leicester City Council and The National Forest, includes the planting of trees in the “Comedy Wood”.  

Leicester Comedy Festival Director, Geoff Rowe, said:

”So many people get involved in the annual Leicester Comedy Festival, it’s important that we reward them and recognise we simply couldn’t do it without them.  This year was an incredible 17 days and we look forward to seeing everyone again at the award ceremony.”

Leicester Comedy Festival took place from 5-21st February 2010. 

The 2011 event will take place from 4-20th February.

The full list of nominees is:

Best New Venue:

  • The Crumblin' Cookie
  • Athena
  • The May Room
  • Phoenix Square

Best Venue:

  • Bottle Rocket at Firebug
  • Five Pound Fringe at Bowies
  • Funhouse Comedy at Kayal
  • The Y
  • The Musician

Best New Show:

  • Loretta Maine
  • Golden Lizzard
  • Greg Davies
  • Liam Mullone
  • Rob Gee

Best Show:

  • Laura Solon
  • Wilson Dixon
  • New Art Club
  • Frisky & Mannish
  • Docktor Cocacolamcdonald

Contribution to LCF10:

  • Kate Owen
  • Joanna Lanham
  • Leicester Mercury
  • Five Pound Fringe
  • From Dusk 2 Dawn

Make Me Happy project:

  • Regent College
  • Dave Cross
  • BrightSparks
  • Love?

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